Rein Aids
An excerpt from the new book Stride Control: Exercises to Improve Rideability,
Adjustability and Performance by Jen Marsden Hamilton.
Rein aids are used to communicate with your horse. If you want the horse to back up, that’s different
from wanting to turn, so you have different rein aids for different responses.
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Your hands are to be held over and in
front of the horse’s withers because the
force of your rein should go in a straight
line from the bit through your elbow—
that’s where the physics are correct and
you can connect with the horse’s mouth
properly. If you drop your hand, your
altered position means the mechanics
of your rein aids are all wrong. The
hands control the horse from the withers
forward. The leg controls him from the
withers back.
DIRECT REIN
The first rein aid is the direct rein. The
force of the rein goes directly back
toward your hip on the same side. The
direct rein directs the horse’s weight from
the forehand to the hind end. It controls
pace and balance. You ride forward
from your leg into the contact, and the
contact is direct pressure. The contact is
balance. Leg-to-hand creates connection
and directs the horse’s weight to the
hind end, lightening the front end.
INDIRECT REIN
An indirect rein directs the force of the
rein toward the rider’s opposite hip.
neck at the level of the rider’s other
hand. The hand only goes out as far as
the rider’s hip. An open rein fine tunes
the track of the horse and does not
disturb the forward motion.
When you extend the open rein, it
becomes a leading rein, which is used
mostly on young horses. It’s also used on
jumpers for very tight turns because it
does not disturb the pace
PULLEY REIN
The pulley rein is your emergency stop. It
is also used by eventers on cross-country
when entering the zone of the jump from
the gallop. Put one fist into the horse’s
neck, brace with it, and pull the horse up
with the other rein.
For more information about Jen Hamilton
and Stride Control visit The Trafalgar
Square Books website HorseandRider-
Books.com.
An indirect rein in front of the horse’s
withers transfers the horse’s balance
from one shoulder to the other. An indirect
rein behind the withers directs the
horse’s balance from the shoulder to
the opposite hip and hock. The indirect
rein creates bend. Softening the horse
laterally by bending creates a softer
horse longitudinally.
BEARING REIN / NECK REIN
The bearing rein or neck rein presses into
the horse’s neck in front of the withers.
The bearing rein stops sideways motion.
The more you pull a horse with one rein
around a turn, the more he will drift
sideways. Use a bearing rein to block
sideways motion and to stop “rubber
necking.”
OPEN REIN / LEADING REIN
With this rein aid, one of the rider’s hands
and reins opens away from the horse’s
TRAINING & Showing
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